


500 Words You Should Know - #499 Zeitgeist

by MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 11:57:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5003905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeitgeist<br/>[tsahyt-gahyst]<br/>noun, German.<br/>1.	the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.</p><p>A Jack inner monologue drabble. Takes place sometime after s3e5 but no real spoilers for Series 3. I just really liked the idea of Jack being a little bad all on his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	500 Words You Should Know - #499 Zeitgeist

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fire_Sign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/gifts).



Having been a policeman for over a decade, as well as a soldier oversees, Detective Inspector Jack Robinson was hardly the inexperienced lamb Miss Fisher (and her friend Dr. Macmillan) seemed to think him. When he had told them about the raid on the brothel he had taken part of, they seemingly overlooked that he had been a young constable at the time.

And while he had been mystified at the time by many of the accoutrement he found in the ladies’ boudoirs during the raid, he had most certainly not remained that way.

He did have a detective’s mind for goodness sake! His very job depended upon him being inquisitive and keeping up with the world. How could he possibly stay one step ahead of the crime element in Melbourne otherwise?

Out of touch with the, what did she call it? The Zeitgeist. Horsefeathers!

All of these thoughts floated through Jack’s mind as he made his way to the evidence locker. The Senior Sergeant had grabbed a couple of constables to investigate a large scale burglary that would likely occupy them for a spell and he had sent Constable Collins on an errand to fetch them both supper. For the moment, City South was quiet.

Jack brought out the key, which slipped into the lock with well-worn ease.

Despite himself, he hesitated for just a second and looked about before he focused his attention on the contents of the locker and the book he was seeking. It had been a busy few of months for confiscating materials currently considered “obscene” by the government.

He moved _The Well of Loneliness_ aside (he really should find a way to get that back to Mac, why it had been banned in the first place seemed rather Puritanical, even by Australian standards) to find the offensive piece of prose. He then re-arranged the contents of the locker to camouflage the vacancy, using an empty biscuit tin to help fill the void, and quickly locked everything back up again.  

With controversial book in hand, he swiftly made his way back to his office.  But he didn’t dare attempt to read it while at the precinct.

in fact, he could just make out the sound of Constable Collins humming to himself as he returned with their supper. He slid the book into his bottom desk drawer next to his emergency tin of biscuits and back up bottle of whisky (Miss Fisher’s increasingly frequent visits had necessitated the need for both).

He thanked Hugh for the sausage roll he handed him and politely declined the Lamington that was offered. The relief on his constables face over this last bit was so clear Jack made a note to chat with his constable about working on his “poker face” if he was serious about moving up to senior constable someday.

Jack contentedly ate his supper while trying to make quick work of the files on his desk. About an hour later, he finally felt he had tied up all the loose ends he could for the moment.  Jack then opened up his bottom desk drawer, briefly contemplated a biscuit but decided to wait to indulge himself until he got home. He returned his attention to the salacious tome that was to be his bedfellow that evening and tucked it up inside his trench coat. He quickly made his leave of Collins and headed home.

Jack quickly readied himself for bed and tucked himself in with a bit of whiskey and a couple of biscuits (one of the few bits of solace he had discovered upon becoming a bachelor). Surrounded by the pleasant quiet of the house settling around him he turned his full attention to his scandalous bed mate.

He cracked open the book and a lovely piece of stationary fluttered out and his sinuses were teased with a soupçon of a familiar French perfume.

Jack closed his eyes in anticipation and then brought the note into the lamp light.

_J,_

_Les Liasons Dangereuses?! You really will turn my head Detective Inspector! As you might expect, I am rather partial to letter 81, paragraph fourteen._

_Although, I would draw your attention to letter 10 when Marquise de Merteuil recounts her story to the Vicomte de Valmont. Do let me know if you ever change your mind about taking turns reading the letters aloud. Although if (when?) we do, it will be in the original French._

_I believe the power of the spoken word would assuredly make the story leap off the page, as it were. Don’t you?_

_-P_

Even sitting alone in the sanctuary of his own bedroom he felt the blush spread from his chest to the tips of his ears. The warmth never dissipated as read through letter 10, twice. Once his trembles diminished and his heart rate started to regain its composure, his breath slowed and he drifted off into contented sleep. His head full of whiskey, his stomach full of biscuits, and his heart full of Phryne.

**Author's Note:**

> Letter 81, paragraph 14  
> When have you known me to break the rules I have laid down for myself or betray my principles? I say ' my principles' intentionally. They are not, like those of other women, found by chance, accepted unthinkingly, and followed out of habit. They are the fruit of profound reflection. I have created them: I might say that I have created myself. 
> 
> For the history buffs: Richard Aldington translated Choderlos Laclos’ "Les Liasons Dangereuses" and the translation, called "Dangerous Acquaintances" was banned in Australia in 1924. Apparently 1929 was a big year for banning books. The other book referenced "The Well of Loneliness" was penned by Radclyff Hall and was about coming to terms with a lesbian identity. The book was banned for being "a danger to the nation" even though it never got racier than kissing.


End file.
